One of the most common questions parents at Gracepoint Berkeley church ask me is, “When do you think my Reginald/Maximilian/Constance can start reading Harry Potter books?”

That’s in the queue for next week (that’s my way to keep you coming back here!), but that question did inspire the first Favorite Friday post. Every Friday, you can expect to find a “favorite” kind of post — Top 10 Favorite Places to Read, Five Favorite Sports Books, Favorite Series, My Forreal Favorite Book Forever…you get the picture.

Since I’m working on lining up guest posts by authors of all ages, I’ll start off with a post about my Favorite Harry Potter book. Like any potterhead, I can’t answer this question without telling you a little of what I think about the other six books! Mind you, these are very abridged explanations.

So in order of favorite-ness:

#6 – Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince. Because, Severus Snape. And crazy plot twists, actually feeling a bit sorry for Draco, horcrux hunting, and of course, Sirius…and then Dumbledore?! Such despair. (Please don’t get me started on the travesty that is the movie for book 6.)

#3 – Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban. Like many people out there, book 3 was my favorite for a long time: Sirius Black, so awesome; and though bittersweet, I loved how things finally began looking up a bit for Harry, in the way of a family.

#7 – Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows. Despite the epilogue, it is one of my favorites! I remember being so conflicted while reading the book, because I wanted to get to the end and find out what in the world was going to happen, but then wanting to not get to the end, because…it was the end.

#2 – Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets. Like many people, it used to be my least favorite, but after finishing the entire series, I appreciate its significance in the grand scheme of things. I wish I could place it higher, but a 4-way tie for 1st would be a bit ridiculous.

#1 – Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone. Everything was new and fresh, filled with the wonder of happening upon a magical world. Your heart just went out to Harry as he began this quest to find out his identity and his destiny.

#4 – Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire. I think my lower-ranking of #4 is influenced by how much I had loved #3. There were aspects of #4 that I found superfluous, but were given a lot of attention: the Cho Chang business, and Yule Ball drama.

#5 – Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix. The unbearable pages on pages of Harry’s CAPITAL LETTER teen tantrums. I empathized with Harry’s frustration, and wanted to get out of the house and off to Hogwarts already too. But all the yelling?TOO MUCH!

Are you surprised that book 6 is my favorite? Which book is your favorite? Leave an answer in the comments. Oh, and take the poll! (Unfortunately, you can only choose one, so you’ll have to decide.)